Archive for September, 2013

“Sir Billy Leon”, the receptionist repeated as he walked down the lobby at Hennessy’s Distillery Offices in Cognac. I haven’t often been called Mister. So, Sir was certainly a step up.

The young man, in his three piece suit, was new to the job I reckon. I had put my name down around noon for the 2.30 tour. After lunch I had returned and indicated to him that he had my name in the book and thought he had ticked it off. Continue reading »

They decided stocking the cupboards would be a great wedding
present, as Uncle Jim and Aunt Norma would surely appreciate this. These guys
were practical jokers and took all the labels off every item on the shelf. A
lot of cans look alike…especially when they are undressed. Aunt Norma asked
me to have lunch with her ….. and it was like a treasure hunt, shaking this
can and that can until we found one that sounded right. Continue reading »

I don't usually talk about the day job but last week was great fun. I've been working on a cake project for work for the past few months – doing it professionally is a lot more difficult than nipping into my kitchen and whipping up a cake – and a box of new samples arrived on my desk. Being the caring sharing person that I am, I broke them out and got the highly qualified taste testers to give me their expert opinions. Continue reading »

Chapel Steps still at the top
Just been checking some of my Google stats and amazed to see that last November’s post on Bandon restaurant, The Chapel Steps, is still topping the poll with almost five and half thousand hits.

I’ve had a bit of an on-again-off-again relationship with Belgian stout over the years. The much-loved Hercule was tough going for me, while Leroy ranks among the worst beers I’ve ever had the misfortune to have put in front of me. De La Senne’s Stouterik is an excellent exception, but only achieves this by de-Belging itself, being light, simple and clean. Continue reading »

In the slightly rearranged words of Kermit the Frog, it’s not easy, green bean.
At least, it’s not easy when you suddenly come in for a lot of green beans, as I just have. And let me tell you, this mob has that menacing look that certain vegetables acquire when gathered in great numbers, daring you not to waste a single pod.
In physics terms, dealing with said mass of beans is a space-time problem – I could freeze them if I had space or pickle them if I had time. Continue reading »

Indiana Jones had it easy. To find his Holy Grail, he merely had to deal with rats, fire, gunmen, betrayal and avoid being chopped to bits by a ship’s propeller. Mr Jones would have paled in the face of my mission – to make the Holey Grail of the griddle cake world – the perfect crumpet.
So, what constitutes the perfect crumpet?
According to my true blood English crumpet connoisseur, it must be: “light and fluffy with lots of holes in it, but it has to have a certain chewy bite to it. Continue reading »

When I was growing up, there was always a newspaper wrapped bottle lurking under the kitchen sink. Even in my maternal grandparents’ house, a house of Pioneers, there was a twin to our newspaper wrapped bottle. Continue reading »

Hands up who’s a fancy coffee lover! Me me ME! You can take your boring old instant coffees and americanos, I want lattes and cappuccinos and frappucinos too if the weather is kind. At this time of year, I am … Continue reading →. Continue reading »

I have a terrible backlog to post through, just go to show that even though I’m not posting I’m still baking and eating a lot. I’m also in the midst of an incredibly busy few weeks at work and a … Continue reading →. Continue reading »

“Paul Flynn from the Tannery in Dungarvan and one of Ireland’s foremost chefs, will be doing a cookery Demo for us on the 10th of October at the Oriel House Hotel in Ballincollig. There will also be a food fare with over 14 stalls confirmed to date. The event is to raise vital funds to support the work done by the Hospice. Continue reading »

By special request, I’ve collated all my best apple recipes, along with a new recipe for an open apple pie, in the one spot. This will make it easy for that somebody who has a glut and there are a couple of savoury options as well as sweet. My big secret with apples is that I use them instead of a sweetener such as sugar or even honey in recipes. They boost the flavour in a sauce or a soup and I even use the peel to make my jams and marmalades set. Continue reading »

That’s right – the next time you go to order this classic combo, keep these fun personality factoids in mind!

Plain bagel+ plain cream cheese= You over think everything, but you end up with the simplest solution anyways. I know you’re contemplating the honey- walnut cream cheese, but you’re going to go with the plain anyways. Just make your life easier and get this combination every time so you have one less decision to agonize over. Continue reading »

As you know, I cook and bake a lot of dishes at home so I can create delicious recipes for you here. All of this experimentation isn't without risks as I am the queen of dropping spoons, creating splatter and generally covering myself in stains that can be pretty tricky to remove. You name it, I've been coated in it : tomato sauce, chocolate, curry, oil, salad dressing, mustard. And usually when I've forgotten to don an apron. Clever…

Two Kilkenny Restaurants feature in Michelin Star WinnersTwo Kilkenny restaurants – Campagne in Kilkenny City and the Lady Helen at the Mount Juliet Hotel in Thomastown – have been awarded Michelin stars in the Michelin Guide Great Britain & Ireland 2014.
Campagne is a contemporary restaurant located at Gashouse Lane in the new heart of Kilkenny. Continue reading »

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This November The Great Irish Bake is back and Kitchen Hero Donal Skehan is helping out with sharing recipes and promoting the event. The Great Irish Bake is in aid of helping sick and seriously ill children get the treatment they need. Head over to The Great Irish Bake to register online and be in the chance of winning a trip to New York when you help raise funds for Temple Street Children’s University Hospital. The site also has hints, tips, recipes and all that goes with an event like this.

This is the Facebook for The Great Irish Bake and of course the Twitter hashtag is: #thegreatirishbake

The Great Irish Bake organisers have shared a recipe with us and also a picture of Donal Skehan with his kids from his first marriage. Some of this might be a lie.

The Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180C and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
2. In a standalone mixture beat together the butter and sugar. Add in the egg and
mix through.
3. Using a wooden spoon mix through the flour, baking powder, salt, mixed spice
and vanilla extract until you have a biscuit dough.
4. Turn the dough out on to a floured surface and roll out to about 1cm in thickness.
5. Cut out biscuit shapes, place on the lined baking tray, then using a smaller cutter
or a small knife cut out the center of each cookie.
6. Sprinkle the crushed sweets into the centre of the cookie and place in the oven
7. Cook in the oven for about 15 minutes.
8. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before transferring to a wire
wrack.

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